A milestone to remember in my career

Megala Ramesh

Nursing Secretary, Kauvery Hospital, Hosur

Background

Recently, the nursing team of Hosur participated in a regional level QC competition and received Gold Award for our presentation. Following this success, we were delighted to receive an email from the Business Excellence team informing us of our selection for the national level of the National Convention Quality Concepts (NCQC) competition in Gwalior. We were overjoyed to see that email since it represented significant step forward closer to success in our journey.

We shared the exciting news with our unit heads, who were very supportive and encouraged us to participate in the NCQC. They provided their full support for the program. We proceeded with the registration and travel arrangements and successfully enrolled in the NCQC competition with our project, “Recurrent IV Cannulation and Care-Related Issues.” Personally, I was especially thrilled, as this opportunity coincided with my first-ever flight – a double celebration!

We received an email from the NCQC team with essential information about the competition, including participation slots, the Knowledge Test, presentation format, and scoring criteria. The next day, we began practicing for the Knowledge Test, which had a maximum score of 50 points. Our focus was on achieving a score above 45, as these individual scores would contribute to the overall team score. The Business Excellence team provided an invaluable resource- a book covering 5S concepts, theories, lean management, Quality Circles, and more. This book greatly enhanced our understanding. Although we had previously practiced 5S concepts, the book provided a deeper understanding of their history and fundamental principles.

We began studying daily, and our Business Excellence team organized model tests, which were extremely beneficial in preparing us for the actual NCQC Knowledge Test. We enthusiastically participated in the test, finding the questions very interesting and engaging.

We successfully completed the Knowledge Test, but our scores would be revealed only after our QC presentation.

Before the live presentation, QCFI requested that we submit our presentation in PDF format for scoring (out of 100). We worked diligently on the PowerPoint presentation, creating a group to share daily updates, presentation input, content, and other relevant information.

We dedicated time within our daily work routine to practice the presentation. Our team consisted of myself (Megala), Loganayaki, Mercy, Karthiga, our team leader Vishnu, and our facilitator Dr. Sriramajayam. The four of us were selected for the NCQC competition in Gwalior on December 28, 2024. Our scheduled flight from Bangalore Airport was at 11:00 am on December 27, 2024. I was very excited to experience my first flight with my teammates.

On December 27, 2024, we arrived at the airport early, had breakfast, and checked in. At that moment, I felt so delighted to be flying and made a personal commitment to strive for even greater achievements in my Kauvery professional journey. My first flight was a three-hour journey that I thoroughly enjoyed from the window seat. Having heard about the flight experience from colleagues, I was now enjoying it immensely, which was a truly memorable part of my Kauvery journey.

After arriving at our accommodation, we rested briefly and then resumed practicing our QC presentation. With a 15-minute time limit, we aimed for a 14-minute delivery. Our Business Excellence head provided excellent guidance, generously dedicating their time to us.

On December 28, 2024, we walked toward the presentation hall at ABV-IIITM, Gwalior, with enthusiasm and a touch of nervousness. Our afternoon session was in a hall where approximately 2,500 projects were registered. We met people from various states, some of whom presented their QCC projects in Hindi or their regional languages. Observing some of the presentations gave us valuable insights into QCC steps, delivery styles, and presentation skills. Finally, we were ready to present our project. We delivered the content clearly and attentively, without any flaws.

After completing our QCC project, we received very positive feedback from the judges. Every presentation includes a 12-minute alert bell; our presentation did not have one. The judges were very impressed and had no suggestions for improvement regarding the QCC project or our presentation. They simply noted, “Patients were not present, but you handled everything else admirably.” This was because we used a mannequin arm to demonstrate IV cannulation with different sizes of Venflons and other necessary equipment, which we also showcased during the presentation.

We were very happy at that moment, and other participants congratulated us. We felt very proud. We left the presentation hall, enjoyed the surroundings, and took some photos. We had lunch provided by the QCFI team. Around 4:00 pm, the prize distribution began. We were both excited and nervous as the announcements were made. Finally, they announced that our team, “The Safety Platoons,” had received an “Excellent” Award for our presentation! We were overjoyed. Even more exciting, we were selected to participate at the international level in Taiwan! We shared the news with our colleagues, who were thrilled and offered their congratulations.

We are grateful for this learning opportunity. This journey helped us learn a great deal about QCC topics. My heartfelt gratitude goes to Kauvery Hospital, Hosur, and its top management for selecting me as a member of the NCQC competition. My special thanks to my reporting head, Mr. Vishnu, Deputy Nursing Superintendent, Dr. Sriramajayam Deputy Medical Superintendent, Mr. Josh Varghese Joy General Manager – Operations, Mr. Narasingamoorthy (HR), Mr. Dhanasekar (AGM), the Business Excellence team, my team members, and all my colleagues who supported me throughout this QC journey.

A milestone to remember in my career

A milestone to remember in my career

Megala Ramesh

Nightingale Journals